Love Without Emotion
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: There were originally 8 sins. But Apathy and Anguish were replaced by Sloth... to make room for Envy. What happens when they once again run into the one they were tossed aside in favor of? Envy/OC/Greed kinda, Wrath/OC Rating may go up
1. Chapter 1

**OK so... this stemmed from a couple of specials on the Seven Deadly Sins that I watched on the History Channel. I watched the first couple, "Envy" and "Greed" (coincidentally, two of my fave characters...), on the TV, and then "Pride" on the internets. So, um... I feel kinda smart after that. You know, from understanding the natures of the sins better. I have gained a DEEPER BOND with our Homunculi... except Pride cuz I dun like him that much. XD Why? I dunno... cuz pride is like the absolute worst sin.**

**BUT ANYWAY. As I watched "Envy", it explained that this monk dude wrote down 8 temptations to man... basically, the sins, except there was no envy and instead, there was apathy and sadness in place of sloth. Then Pope Gregory the Great condensed the list into seven because he felt that seven was a holy number. He combined apathy and sadness into sloth, which made room for envy. So, if we want to get technical, THERE WERE 8 DEADLY SINS/TEMPTATIONS BEFORE ENVY AND SLOTH CAME ALONG.**

**... Kay, mini history lesson over.  
><strong>

**So that's where I got this idea from. Except that I changed "sadness" to "anguish" because come on, "Sadness" as a sin? It sounds pathetic, and even I'm not that torturous. I may call Ed short on an hourly basis, I may dress up Envy in a hula skirt and coconut bra, but I WILL NOT name a Sin "Sadness". Yeah. "Anguish", on the other hand, has more negative connotations. Apathy, if you don't know, is basically just... not feeling anything. The reason why Apathy in my story feels? Well... all shall be revealed in good time.**

**Oh yeah, and disclaimerrrrrr: Don't own FMA. Wish I did, but I don't. If I did, Envy's outfit would be even MORE revealing. *kukukuku* I only own Apathy and Anguish, and the plotline... well, kind of. It starts off at FMA Brotherhood episode 25 when they're in Gluttony's tummeh. AND YOU SHALL SEE ALL IN DUE TIME, MY PRETTIES.**

**... Um, please enjoy then and I hope you benefited from my author's note explaining things... read on k thanks bye! XD ^^**

* * *

><p>"Ed, do you hear that?"<p>

"What is it, Ling?"

"There's definitely someone there..." His eyebrows furrowed. "Two someones, actually. Both female... by the sound of their footsteps."

As if on cue, two young women stepped out from the shadows. One appeared to be about their own age, around eighteen or so; she had deep red hair that went to her shoulders, coupled with blue eyes. A black trench coat wrapped around her body, making it impossible to tell how strong she was. The other looked maybe eight, at least ten years younger; she had blonde hair, but it was far darker than Ed's, almost a demonic shade, and her eyes were blue as well. Her outfit, though, was a simple, dark red dress that went past her knees but not near her ankles.

The woman made a "pfft" noise, hiking her notebook up in her arms. "Well, well, what do we have _here_, my dear Anguish? One State Alchemist and his pal, the bumbling princely stooge." She flicked her hair. "A shrimp and a royal dumbass aren't going to get us out of here. Nobody is..."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE'S KING OF THE LEPRECHAUNS BY BEING THE TINIEST?"

The smaller one, Anguish, ran to hide behind the elder. "A-Apathy!"

"Ed, calm down." Ling commented. "I think you're scaring the little one."

"Put the lid on the simmer pot, alchemist," the taller one, obviously Apathy, sighed, walking up the steps to where they were. "We're not as sinful as the Homunculi you've already met. If you want to get technical about things, we're not really even sins anymore."

"Then what _are_ you?" Ed demanded, having calmed down a little. "Are you even Homunculi? You don't look like them..."

"We are." Apathy glanced nonchalantly into the cauldron, noticing the empty ladle. "Ohh. You had food and you didn't share?"

"We didn't know you were here," Ling retorted, leading her away after she had put her notebook down. "Besides, dear, we boiled his boot. It may have been pretty filling, but I've had more appetizing things."

"Did you _wanna_ starve?" Ed fired back. "_You_ were the one who was going on about being hungry!"

"Regardless," Apathy cut in, kicking the remains of the shoe stew aside, "I wouldn't suppose either of you has any chocolate on you? Even a little piece?"

Ed and Ling gave her a blank look, before Ed pointed at Ling. "He would've eaten it by now, even if we had any."

Apathy's hopeful face fell. "No? Oh well, quite a shame, dears." She blew a bubble gum bubble, then popped it. "I've been chewing the same piece of gum for almost a century. Too bad then."

"You still haven't given us much information," Ed spoke up, having to fight back the bile in his throat. "You're Homunculi, fine. But how do we know you're not in league with Envy and Lust and the rest?"

"Ohhhh, _Envy_?" Apathy fluttered her eyelashes before making that "pfft" sound again. "Is he here? He's going to pay for what he did to us..."

"What exactly did he do?" Ling asked, raising an eyebrow as Anguish had begun to timidly examine him.

"Are you serious? Nobody told you? I figured Envy would brag about it to anyone who wasn't deaf. _He's_ the reason we're in here."

Ed looked around for somewhere the two girls could have gotten in. "How long have you been in this place?"

Apathy shrugged. "Eh, I've lost count."

"Of the... days?"

She smirked. "_Years_, my dear boy."

"Y-You mean... then there's no way out?"

She blew her bangs back. "If there is, we haven't been able to find it. And how long have we been here? You're not getting out, you're stuck with us, and it's a good thing we like company because Anguish thinks that otherwise you look _really_ tasty."

Anguish, who was currently chewing on Ling's white jacket, was swept up into Ling's arms. "We don't have to worry about her turning carnivore on us, do we, Apathy?"

"Hey, she's a big girl now. I don't have as much authority over her as I used to." She shifted her weight, placing a hand on her hip. "Oh, you mean her gumming on anything she can? She's just constantly teething, I swear."

Ling placed his finger into Anguish's mouth, and she began to chew on that as well. "But she's got all her teeth."

"She still sucks her thumb too. Let her gum your fingers, she doesn't actually bite enough to hurt. I ought to know, she's taken her tiny chompers to my wrists more than once."

"So you two... don't have any ties to Envy?" Ed inquired, just for clarification.

"Only the ones I'd like to strangle him with, hon. The only relationship I have with him that I sometimes... repair things for him."

"Repair... things?"

"Oh yes. In fact, if I ever see him again, he's due for me to clean his clock, fix his wagon, and _tan his pale-ass, pansy hide_!"

Ling rubbed his cheek against Anguish's hair as she chewed on each of his fingers. _I recognize that look, that tone,_ he thought sadly, glancing down at the child Homunculus. _That's a broken heart... err, Philosopher's Stone, as it were. Whatever Envy did to her, he sure didn't do it in a battle... not to make her this bitter..._

"Did you know there were originally eight of us?" Apathy remarked. "Envy ruined everything."

"You say that," Ed agreed, obviously seeing the same pain in her that Ling saw, "but I have a feeling your reason isn't as straightforward as you want us to think. Apathy... it's not just because you're here that you resent Envy, is it?"

She exhaled. "Envy and I have a very long-standing, very complicated relationship that doesn't concern you, alchemist."

Ling suddenly jerked his head to another direction, the same as where Apathy and Anguish had come from. "Hmm?"

Ed looked the same way, as did the Homunculi. "What's wrong?"

"There's something else out there..." Ling replied.

"And this time it reeks of transvestite," Apathy scoffed, making a disgusted face. It was the first time her expression had changed, besides a smirk and then returning to her default, blasé face.

"No way..." Ling held Anguish tighter. "Is that...?"

From the shadows came Envy, green hair spiked up, his tight, scant outfit glistening with blood and sweat, and looking thoroughly pissed. "I thought so. I shoulda known it'd be _you_ guys." His violet eyes flickered to look at the other two. "And _you_?" He snarled. "Boy, my day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Apathy gave a contemptuous snort, then spit her gum at Envy. "Long time no see, you jealous little asshole. Miss me?" Her smirk came back, as she ventured into the liquid toward him. "I mean, how are you getting along without me? How ya been?"

A slap resounded throughout the vast darkness after Apathy moved to "greet" Envy. She now lie on her hands and knees in the bloody ocean, her cheek bearing a small red mark in the shape of Envy's palm. "... Well, I see not much about you has changed, Envy." She got to her feet, coughing and rubbing her cheek. "Wow, that one actually had some hate behind it. Been learning to focus your feelings?"

"_Shut the hell up, bitch_! I don't need your mouth making things worse."

"Well, you didn't seem to mind when you were sucking the hell out of it a century ago!"

"That was all _your_ fault! I didn't care! Why do you try so hard to look for emotions in me that you know aren't there?"

"Because! Because...!" She crossed her arms. "Because you don't need to know why! All you need to know is that I - _we_ -" She gestured to Anguish. "Thought you were different! But apparently _we_ aren't a very good judge of character!"

"We _have_ no character, Apathy! Why don't you go back to hell or something? I'm sure they miss you!"

"I'll see you there!" She plopped down on the ground, drooped her eyelids, and stuck her tongue out at Envy. "See how long you can put up with _this_," she taunted around her tongue.

Ling looked from Envy to Apathy, then back to the scantily clad Homunculus, as Anguish found another of his fingers to teethe on. "That's definitely Envy."

**OOH HOO NO DUR, LING.**

**... Sorry, had to get that out of my system. That's what I thought when I saw da episode... XD**

**Anyway, I'm sorry if it seems a little rushed. Like how familiar Ed and Ling are getting with Apathy and Anguish? I didn't notice till I was reading over it... but don't worry, they still don't trust Apathy that much. Ling comes off as more trusting to me, simply because he hasn't gone through all the shit that Ed has. They don't trust her completely, but Ling trusts her a little more than Ed does.**

**Once again, I own nothing but the Diet Pepsi and ranch-flavored sunflower seeds I'm eating...**

**THANKS FOR READING PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME HOW I'M DOING!**

**BYE BYEEEEE~ ^^  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**... Do I really have to say it? I DON'T OWN FMA. Wish I did, but I don't, so it'd be AWFUL nice if you didn't sue me. :D**

**The first section of this, the part in italics, is a flashback from the first time Apathy and Envy met, when Envy had just joined the Sins. At that point they didn't realize how crowded it was getting, so Apathy and Anguish didn't leave until certain circumstances, and I'm only telling you that they involve Envy and nothing else, exiled them into Gluttony's stomach. Envy's personality was different when he first became a Homunculus, on account of he was closer to the person he used to be, William Elric. Sooooo yeah. *Professor Exposition, explainer of things! She's clarifyin' plot points to explain away CONFUSION!" - Don't own that bit either, that goes to the Back to the Barnyard peeps...**

**Ideally, every chapter starting now will open with a flashback, but I don't know if it's gonna happen or not. I will try though, since it gives you guys a LITTLE bit of insight to what Envy and Apathy's relationship used to be like, without giving away too much. Because if I gave away too much, later chapters wouldn't be as exciting and that's no fun...  
><strong>

**Hope you like!**

* * *

><p><em>Her eyebrow raised as she gave him the once-over. He didn't look like anything all that special, but he <strong>was<strong> different from the others. He had his own style, and he looked so... breakable. Like if you even poked him, his skin would form a bruise. He looked like he might be... useful. "You must be the new one they were talking about."_

"_Yeah, hi." He blushed a little, extending a hand to her. "My name used to be William, but since they're calling me Envy, I guess that's my name now. So... I'm Envy. Which are you? I bet you're Lust 'cause... um... I-I mean, not like that, I just..."_

"_Pfft. Sure, little one. I'm **that** whore of a Homunculus. I don't mind her, but don't compare us, and my name is Apathy."_

"_Oh, yeah. You're the one that's with Greed. I guess now I know what he meant by not getting eyes for his woman..."_

_She shrugged. "Hey, affairs happen, right, love?" She turned around, flicking her hair back toward him haughtily. "But it doesn't matter anyway. I'd never leave Greed for a pathetic human-lover like you."_

"_I'm not a human-lover! Humans are ugly and dumb! I hate them with every fiber of my being!"_

_Apathy drew Anguish closer to her, hiding her smirk from Envy. "Well, the kitten has some claws then. How sharp, dear?"_

"_Rrrrrgh..." She felt Envy grab her shoulder. "I'll show you, Apathy! I'll become the best Homunculus of all of you, the one who kills the most humans! Will I be good enough then? Will I?"_

_Apathy shrugged his hand off her shoulder. "Your words mean nothing without results, Envy. Only then will I respect you."_

* * *

><p>Apathy pulled her tongue back into her mouth now, nursing the light bruise Envy had made on her cheek. He'd changed a lot since that first day she'd met him. Even before she and Anguish had gotten thrown into Gluttony, this was pretty much what he'd been like. By the time that next day rolled around, it was almost like he was a completely different person than the shy, stuttering newbie he'd been then. He despised almost everyone, and was jealous of her and Greed. He seemed to forget that <em>she<em> was the one who'd encouraged his disgust for humans. He may have already had it, but she helped him to intensify it.

Ed rushed forward, not even venturing into the blood. "_Please show me the way outta here_!" he yelled at Envy.

Apathy rolled her eyes, running her finger down her aching cheek. "Pathetic human."

Ling gave Ed a look of utter disbelief. "You're just going to start begging the enemy for help like that?"

"If it means surviving, I'll be his best friend!"

Apathy sighed, sloshed through the bloody waters, and sat down next to Envy, the fluid covering nearly over her legs. "Why would either of us wanna be your friend anyway?" she asked as Anguish wiggled down from Ling's arms, chewing one last time on his finger, then hurried back to Apathy.

"And why'd _you_ leave?" Ed scoffed, directing his speech to Apathy. "I thought you hated Envy for whatever he did to you."

She glanced up at Envy, who looked back down at her. "Look, it's not that you guys aren't nice. You're perfectly fine fellows. It's nothing personal, really, but I'd rather be near a Homunculus I dislike than near any human. Sorry," she smirked, holding Anguish in her lap.

"Funny," Ling said, "you don't _sound_ all that sorry."

"Come _on_ now, Envy," Ed persisted, not looking at Apathy any longer. "If you show us how to get out, I'll do anything!"

Envy rolled his eyes, sitting back on a large piece of stone. "It doesn't matter, because there _is_ no exit," he sighed, crossing his legs.

Ed and Ling both gave Envy (and Apathy) the same incredulous look. "Huh?"

"You've really gotten us into a fine mess," Envy snarled.

"Fine kettle of fish," Apathy agreed, "which I wish I had right now 'cause I'm starving..."

Envy gave her a look before doing a genuine, serious facepalm. "I can't believe you got me swallowed with you." He reached down and put a hand on Apathy's head. "_And_ you had to string these two along with us. What is it that you humans say - this really takes the pie or something like that?"

"Cake," Apathy corrected vehemently, making no move to take Envy's hand off her head. "It's supposed to be cake, and chocolate would be nice..."

"Shut up," he shot back, pulling on a fistful of her hair. "Your stupid chocolate addiction... not going to do us any good."

"You just said 'swallowed'," Ling spoke up, stepping closer. "So we really are inside Gluttony's stomach?"

Apathy played with Anguish's hair, seeming nonchalant to the fact that Envy was trying to yank out a chunk of hers. "It's a real dump, isn't it?"

Envy let go of Apathy's hair. "Well, yes _and_ no," he continued, speaking to Ling and all but shutting out his former girlfriend. "See, it's a lot more complicated than that." He gestured to Ed. "Just ask the pipsq-"

Ed glared, growling at the Homunculus.

"I-I mean, the alchemist," Envy quickly substituted, rethinking his word choice.

"Nice save," Apathy whispered, loudly enough for everyone there to hear.

Envy decided to keep ignoring her for the time being. "He should have realized what place this is."

Apathy decided to lie down, keeping her head above the blood and Anguish on her stomach, as the discussion continued.

"I did notice something when Gluttony swallowed us," Ed admitted. "It was like I had a familiar feeling..."  
>"So you do remember then." Envy chuckled a little, just as darkly as Apathy remembered. "This isn't the first time you've been through this."<p>

All was quiet for a minute, and Apathy closed her eyes. This was pointless anyway, they weren't getting out of here. Why even talk about it?

"The Portal of Truth!" Ed exclaimed, virtually keeping Apathy from her peaceful sleep. "But it wasn't pitch-black and filled with a sea of blood. It was more like... like an entirely white void..."

Apathy cracked one eye open. So this kid had been in the Portal of Truth.

Envy "hmm"ed in mild interest. "Oh yeah? So that's what the real one looks like..."

Ed made a halting sound. "The real one...?"

Envy sighed. "Gluttony is a failed experiment by our father to create his own Portal of Truth."

Apathy snickered at what would be the humans' reaction to _that_.

"He's a... what?" Ed stammered.

Apathy mentally rolled her eyes at how stupid humans could be sometimes. "Are you even listening to him? I may not like Envy much but even I know that he deserves respect."

"Don't help me, Princess," Envy sneered, but made no move to touch her this time. "Look, despite how powerful our father is, he still couldn't do it. We're all trapped inside a defective Portal of Truth. So... this place? It exists somewhere in between reality and truth."

Apathy sat up, hugging Anguish close. She knew how this worked; it meant they were never getting out. And since that gum she'd spit at Envy had been the last piece of red-stone-infused food she had, she had now about as much time was Envy did before her body gave out on her. She was going to die with them... her former lover, a child Homunculus, and a pair of worthless humans... inside the stomach of someone who'd never liked her anyway.

Ed blinked, just staring at them. "In between...?"

"Still not listening?" Apathy snapped.

Envy put a hand on her shoulder, probably trying to tell her that there was no use fighting... not yet, at least. "And I can assure you, as can Apathy, that there's no way out of here. The only option we've got is to sit here until our strength runs out... and that's it." Sweat beaded down Envy's face as he let go of Apathy. "All we can do is wait to die."

His words echoed through the wall-less space as Apathy felt her eyes moisten. Few times had she ever cried, being the personification of emotionlessness, but the hopeless weight of the situation was too much. She had loved Envy once, and she couldn't think of anyone better to die alongside, even if she was confused about her feelings for him now. If it were just him, they could reminisce about missions and funny dates until death, and maybe they'd die smiling at each other instead of all that bitterness frozen on their faces. But no, a couple of stupid humans had to intrude on their precious last time.

"I'm sorry, Envy," she choked out, biting back the tears. She didn't want to cry in front of him, not again. She leaned her head against the stone he was sitting on, some of her short hair pooling near his hips. "If I'd known it would end like this, I... I would have done a million things differently." She shrugged her cloak off, revealing her two-piece teal ensemble. "Envy, I don't... have any more power from the red stones. That gum was all I had, I don't know where it went..."

Envy exhaled, and Apathy felt his hand on her neck. "Then you're going to die too. Maybe a lot more quickly, seeing as you didn't have any real red stones in the first place... I dunno. But don't worry about all that shit way back when..." His fingertips tickled at the base of her hair, as if he wanted to run his fingers through it one more time. "We both did our share of screwing up... being assholes to each other..."

Almost against her own will, Apathy leaned in to Envy's surprisingly gentle touch, remembering how her relationship with him used to be. Instead of being apathetic to everything, she had been... happy when she and Envy were together. They had fun. "For the first fifty years," she mumbled into his skort, "I hated you. I blamed you. Then I hated myself and Anguish, blamed us both for this. And now that I'm seeing you after a hundred years... I'm not sure _how_ to feel. I-I feel... like I don't care anymore. Like nothing matters."

"Nothing but death matters now." He glanced at Ed and Ling. "That goes for you two as well. I suggest you get comfortable with the fact that in a week or two, you'll both be dead. Apathy, Anguish, and I have more time but... it'll only _feel_ like a little while." He looked at Apathy, then Anguish, and finally down at his lap, his other hand. "Death is the only certainty now."

* * *

><p><strong>Whoop whoop.<strong>

**YEAH... I know Envy and Apathy's interactions may seem a little... cheesy, sappy... fluffeh... towards the end... but that's because they used to really love each other. Well, as much as a Homunculus can love anyway. There will be a LOT of friction between them, but right now they're absolutely sure they're going to die, so some emotions are being forced out.**

**THANKS FOR READING. IF YOU ALERT/FAVORITE/LOOK AT THIS PLEASE REVIEW. I NEED TO KNOW HOW I'M DOING, WHAT YOU GUYS LIKE OR DON'T LIKE, AND WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF.**

**Thanks! ^^  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah well... this was originally supposed to be a bit longer. But then I had two flashbacks, and it was getting a little TOO long...**

**So yeah. Real action's next chapter. XD**

* * *

><p><em>She sat down at the table, glancing over at the Homunculus, who was near the sink. "Good morning, Envy. How was your night?"<em>

"_I could ask you that." He was doing **something** over there... but what? "I heard you went out with Greed last night."_

"_Yes, I did."_

"_How was it?"_

"_It was fine, like every other time. Nothing outstanding, as usual."_

_All of a sudden Envy turned around, and then there was a pile of dandelions and ivy in front of her. "There! Do you like them? Am I good enough now?"_

_She blinked at the worthless plants before her, then looked up at Envy, a small tinge of fire beginning inside her chest. "What the hell is this? Are you making fun of me?"_

"_No! God **damn**, no, I would never!" Envy picked up one of the dandelions. "I saw Greed give these to you a few times. You liked them, so I... went out and picked some for you. And y'know what I found out?" He tossed the "flower" down on the table. "These damn things make me sneeze like hell, but I got them anyway! For you! So what? Will you leave Greed for me **now**?"_

_Apathy picked up the dandelion and held it up to the other's nose. "Envy, these aren't flowers. They're weeds... and how the hell do you still have allergies if you're a Homunculus now?"_

"_**Hi'chu**!" Now enraged, Envy smacked her hand, and the offending weed, away. "Man, what do I have to do? Why do you make it so hard for anybody but Greed to get near you? Even Anguish is afraid of you! I've been trying to impress you since day one! I'm strong and you **still** don't seem to care! I mean seriously, do you see how many humans I've killed? I thought that's what you wanted me to do!"_

"_I have very high standards," she replied, shoving the rest of the plants on the floor for Gluttony to eat later. "Why do you think my name is Apathy? I'm not easily impressed. Although..." She glanced down at the weeds. "You're on the right track, Envy."_

* * *

><p>Apathy attempted to raise her head, wondering idly if Envy was still allergic to dandelions. It was really the stupidest thing to think of at the moment, but in some twisted way it reminded her of Envy's more human side.<p>

When she looked up, she saw Ed staring angrily at both of them, his fists clenched. "No way... don't think I'm falling for any of that crap! I know you're lying to us, Envy!" He stepped forward. "You're lying, aren't you?"

She didn't dare take her eyes off Ed and Ling, but even so she knew Envy was getting upset with these accusations. His stroking her neck got rougher, his fingernails digging into her skin. She knew that if there was one thing Envy hated more than humans, it was somebody calling him ugly (or fat), and if there was one thing he hated more than _that_, it was somebody calling him a liar.

"So there really isn't a way out?" Ling said, sounding terrified. "We're gonna die here?"

"Wait... no... hold on..." Ed hung back, looking extremely afraid. "I can't die here... what's Al gonna do if I die? We made a promise and he... he needs me to get back to normal..."

Apathy didn't know what the hell Ed was talking about, and frankly she really didn't care. All she cared about now was spending what little time she had left with Envy - and even that didn't matter all too much. When they were dead, what memories would they have, after all? None... so it didn't matter.

Meanwhile Ed continued rambling, all but yelling at them. "Damn it... I wanna know who your father is! Who would try to create their own Portal? It's Führer Bradley, isn't it?"

Apathy snorted. "Pfft. Right."

Apparently Envy shared her disbelief. "Tch... what, are you serious?"

"I mean really," Apathy agreed, reaching up to take Envy's hand. He didn't grab hers like he would have a century ago, but he let her rest her fingers on top of his hand. "That pansy barely had the balls to punch me in the face, although I did need a bit of make-up to cover it. You think he has enough balls to try and make a Portal? No way, 'cause he's a Nancy."

"I have to concur," Envy commented with an eye roll. "Nice try, but King Bradley's nothing more than a Homunculus."

Ling made a face at Ed - a really smug, non-smirking face. "Told you so."

Apathy set Anguish down in the bloody sea as she watched Ed's newest reaction to the word "Homunculus". He looked freaked out and angry beyond all rhyme and reason. "The Fifth Laboratory..." Ed looked like he was having some sort of flashback moment or something. "Human lives sacrificed to make Philosopher's Stones... Homunculi..." He straightened a little, glaring at them. "And if the Führer is on your side, then I'm guessing _you're_ the ones behind Ishval."

That seemed to brighten Envy's mood. His eyes widened in glee, and a spark within the lavender orbs made itself known. "Ohhh, _Ishval_?" He cackled loudly, making Apathy shiver with a forgotten ecstasy.

She hauled herself up to sit on the stone beside him. "Ah yes, Envy! Ishval! Wasn't that the last mission you and I completed together?"

"Yes, our farewell to you and Anguish, before... you know." He had one hand on his knee, and the other had slithered its way from under hers. "And I couldn't have _asked_ for a more enjoyable job than that, even with Apathy as a partner."

"Oh Envy," Apathy called, tugging on a strand of his hair. "Do you remember what we did the week before we left for Ishval?"

"Ah yes, you and I traveled to that beautiful village near Lior. I distinctly remember _consuming_ Queen Blanche..." He chuckled darkly, as did she, touching noses with the glow of youth in their eyes.

Ling sweatdropped. "... Please tell me that's a type of delectable wine..."

Envy snickered, drawing away from his former other. "Oh sure, as far as _you_ know."

"You were talking about Ishval!" Ed shouted.

"Ah right... sorry, Fullmetal. Got lost in the reverie of good times."

"What happened in Ishval?" Ed demanded.

Envy smirked. "Well, you remember the incident that started the war, right?"

Ed's expression softened a little, a look of thought taking over. "I had always heard it was because a military officer accidentally shot an Ishvalan child."

Envy made a gesture with his hand, grinning. "Yup!" He placed a hand on his chest, looking almost incomprehensibly content with himself. "And the one that proudly pulled the trigger was none other than yours truly."

"Don't forget who gave you the trigger to pull in the first place," Apathy interrupted. "I played a big part in the whole thing too. I don't know _why_ you're hogging all the glory for yourself."

"Because," he shot back. "The one who gave me the trigger _gave me the wrong gun_."

She fluttered her eyelashes sweetly, in a manner that would make most people want to throw up. "But that was the one Father _told_ me to give you, babe."

"First of all... no, it wasn't, you lying little bitch." Envy popped her one on the head. "Second... who's spinning the yarn here, me or you?"

"Well... I supposed you were just preparing an exposition." She pouted, sticking her bottom lip out so far it should have been impossible. "I thought you'd be nice and let _me_ explain what took place. How come you never let me talk?"

"Because your voice is like nails on a blackboard, and I know you're just going to falsify everything." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine, go on and tell it then."

"Okay." She glanced over at Anguish, who was playing timorously in the waters of blood, and an image of the young Ishvalan Envy had killed flashed across her mind, along with a slight twinge of guilt. "Well, I guess I ought to start at first base, right? It began relatively like any other day for a mission... except for the fact that it was hellishly, ungodly hot... but Ishval's in the desert, you know so..."

* * *

><p><strong>WOOT WOOT. GETTIN' A LITTLE MORE REVEAL-Y.<strong>

**...**

**ENVY'S A GOOD BOY!**

**Um well... again, I ask that ANYBODY WHO READS OR FAVORITES OR SUBSCRIBES, PLEASE REVIEW. I love reviews because they make me want to write more. Much motivation and inspiration for me. So if you want more, review please! And I'll love you forever annnnnd... um... I'll make Envy promise not to ever hurt you? XD**

**Envy: ... You know you don't hold that kind of power, sister.**

**Me: X.X YAH I KNOW.**

**Thanks! ^^  
><strong>


	4. Chapter 4

_A shapeshifter like her partner, she now sported the look of the village. Silver hair cascaded down her back, falling neatly on her hips, and red eyes punctured the reflective glass of the mirror. A simple, sleeveless tan garment clung to her now-bronzed skin, stopping near her knees, and she'd opted to go barefoot. "It's a shame Greed will never see me in this 'outfit'," she remarked, pulling her hair into a loose ponytail. As she spoke, she mentally sighed at that one shortcoming; her voice stayed the same, unlike her lover's. "He used to have a thing for Ishvalans, you know. I've been trying to figure out if he still does. Not that it really matters, but there was this one time I accidentally morphed into an Ishvalan, and for some reason he couldn't stop staring at my-"_

"_Shut the fuck up!" Envy sat up suddenly from his position on the bed. He wasn't in uniform yet, so his voice was just as hostile as ever. "Greed this, Greed that! I thought **we** were supposed to be together now, Apathy!" He stood up and kicked at the wall, glad that they were the only ones here so nobody else heard the shaking it made. "So why the hell are you still talking all about him? Every time we're together, you find some way to slip him into conversation! Do you wanna go back to **him** or something?"_

"_Of course not," she crooned softly, turning from the mirror and getting on her knees. Envy's legs were now inside her own, and she supported herself by leaning on her arms, with her hands on either side of him. "I'd never leave you. How stupid do you think I am?" She dipped down and captured his mouth, nipping at his lower lip with her sharp teeth. "I'd have to be an idiot." She trailed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, then down his jaw. "Envy, am I an idiot?"_

"_Hell no. You're with me, aren't you?" He pressed back, but he was slowly lowering himself down to the dusty mattress, allowing her to falsely dominate him for the time being. He reached up one arm and slung it around her neck, pulling her down farther. "Unh... you know..." He flicked his tongue into her mouth, and she granted him partial access by parting her teeth just slightly. "We should really get going..." His tongue touched hers and he grinned in the pleasure of knowing he could make her weak if he really wanted. "This guy has to be at his post in five minutes..."_

"_Five minutes..." Apathy shoved him down fully but slowly, letting her body rest over top of his like a comfortable pair of pajamas. "Darling, there's a whole lot we could do with five minutes."_

* * *

><p>"Hey hey!" Ed screeched, nearly falling backward. "Is that seriously the way it happened?"<p>

"Every last detail," Envy snickered.

"I don't wanna hear about this!" Ed growled, kicking a pebble at Apathy. It hit her on the forehead, but she didn't flinch. "Stop with the stupid mushy stuff and get on with what you guys did in Ishval!"

Apathy sniggered. "Well, quite obviously we did each other, dear."

Envy took pity on the "Please-hit-me-over-the-head-so-I-forget-I-ever-heard-that" look Ed was now wearing. "Apathy, I think it'd be best if you just kept the story PG-13."

"That _was_ PG-13! You didn't hear anything about me ripping that... _thing_ off your bony, muscular waist, did you?" she pointed out, gesturing to his skort.

"Okay. Finish and leave out the romantic stuff, okay, Apathy? I do believe the pipsqueak's getting worked up."

"AND STOP CALLING ME SHORT, YOU BASTARD!"

* * *

><p><em>Apathy got up from the bed after giving Envy one last kiss. She glanced in the mirror and then at Envy. "Do I look okay?"<em>

"_Yeah. Let's get going." Envy phased into the officer, a blonde man with blue eyes who had a slight goatee. The blue military uniform draped off his body, obviously just a bit too big. "... I don't like this form."_

"_Neither do I. Now come on." Apathy headed out the door of the abandoned inn, and Envy joined her seconds later._

"_Hey, are you sure this is the right gun?" he asked before they got too far. "It looks a little smaller than the ones I saw the others with."_

"_I'm sure. Why wouldn't you trust me? Even if it's not, which I'm sure it is, smaller guns are sometimes more powerful. You've got no reason to panic."_

_They walked across the desert citadel, looking as innocent as they possibly could. To any passerby, it seemed just like an Ishvalan woman speaking to an officer, concerned about the military in her town. The officer was gently reassuring her, and both had smiles on their faces. Just for effect, Apathy waved at some of the citizens, as if she knew them._

"_You're such a good actress," Envy told her under his breath. "Almost as good as I am."_

"_What can I say?" she responded, just as quietly. "As someone who has trouble feeling emotions, I can just adopt them. I don't have to actually feel them... all I have to do is pretend that I feel them."_

"_Makes sense," he said, a little louder because that wasn't something that would sound suspicious. "So you're not worried anymore?"_

_She looked at the other Ishvalans around them and the rest of the officers, who had already assumed their posts. He meant not worried about her part of the mission, but to everyone else it sounded like he was simply being a kind soul, assuring her that there was nothing to worry about. She gave a smile and nodded quickly, delicately. "No, I'm not. Thank you, sir."_

_He shook her hand; now that they were in full view of everyone, he couldn't do much more than that until after they were finished. "No problem. It's my job, ma'am."_

_She turned to leave, ready to play her part as the diversion. "I know you'll protect us, so thank you!"_

"_Anytime!" he called after her. "Don't forget what I told you!"_

_Of course. She gave one little backward glance, aching to kiss him again. But it would have to wait. She wandered away from Envy; she had to wait for his signal, which was a nod. She had to be far enough so that nobody got suspicious, but close enough that she could see him when he gave her the green light._

_At last, from the back of a building, she could see him dip his head down, meeting her eyes so there was absolutely no confusion. That was her cue._

_She darted from behind the building, tugging on one of the other officers' sleeves. "Please! You have to help me!" Fake tears streamed down her face, easy for her to create. "My son - somebody took him! You have to help me find where they've taken him!" Playing a distraught mother may have not been exactly the plan, but technically the plan allowed her a bit of creative freedom._

_The rest happened so fast. As she was dragging the other officer away, she saw Envy smile at a small child. A little girl, couldn't have been no more than six, with the trademark vanilla hair and crimson eyes of her people, in a white dress and carrying a teddy bear. The smile was friendly at first, but Apathy knew it was all just a lie on Envy's part._

_The girl smiled back, in that trusting way children did._

_His smile became cruel, as he slowly raised his gun at her._

_The gun was inches away from her forehead._

_Her eyes widened in infantile confusion. A small noise exited her mouth, but no real words._

_She didn't have time to ask why, though her eyes said it all._

_A shot rang out, the sharp sound of a life being ended._

_Her body fell to the ground, and the blood stained her stuffed animal._

_Everyone flocked to him, asking what the hell he was doing._

_But he had already disappeared._

_In the midst of it all, Apathy fled the scene and hid in the hotel, waiting for him to come back._

_They had ruined two lives._

_An Ishvalan child, and that soldier who had "overslept"._

_It would definitely ruin more than two lives... perhaps even hundreds of lives._

_She looked down at her hands._

"_**Why... don't I feel bad about that?"**_

_She looked in the mirror, and the beating of her Stone quickened when she saw the innocent face of an Ishvalan looking back at her._

"_**Why... did it feel so good?"**_

* * *

><p>"And that's how it happened." Apathy brought a knee up, her foot resting on the rock. "He may have brought the goods to the mission, but I did my part."<p>

"Certainly you did. And I'm surprised - that was actually almost how it exactly happened." Envy smirked, patting her on the head rather condescendingly. He then turned to look at Ed and Ling. "You have no idea how _good_ that felt." He glanced at Apathy. "We ravaged their entire country with a single bullet!" He cackled, a wild look overcoming his features. "I mean, talk about _invigorating_!"

Apathy looked over at the others, and Ed had sloshed into the blood. He was now stalking towards them, his hair covering his eyes and his fists balled tightly. _Boy_, did he look mad.

Envy didn't seem to notice. He just kept going on. "Oh, and the best part?" He interlaced his fingers, grinning sadistically. "The officer that I pretended to be - he was actually a moderate who had always publicly opposed the military's occupation in Ishval."

Apathy snickered when she noticed Ed getting even angrier, his steps becoming even harder and his knuckles turning white. "Keep going, Envy!"

"And listen to this!" More twisted delight made its home on Envy's face. "The poor fool couldn't come up with a plausible defense and they court-martialed him!" He relaxed a little, tossing his hair over his shoulder. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get over how easily manipulated humans are." He let out another insane laugh, though more toned down.

"Testi_fy_!" Apathy shrieked, pumping her fist and just about careening into the water. "Yeah!"

Ed's body seemed to shake with fury. "So you're responsible. You two are the ones who shot and killed that poor innocent child." He was getting closer by the second. "You destroyed my hometown - you drove out the Ishvalans! You're the one who turned Scar into a murderer... and it was _you_...! You're the reason Winry's parents were killed!" He was directly in front of them now, running on the pure hatred of Envy and Apathy. "_You're to blame_!"

With that, he reeled back and his fist connected with Envy's face.

Apathy's eyes widened when she saw how hard he'd really punched Envy. It looked like Envy was having to regenerate very quickly. How could he have done that much damage?

The red lightning-like streaks of the regeneration flickered through the empty pit they were all in. "What the hell...?" Ed's eyes widened. "You didn't budge..."

More lightning crackled. Envy's face instantly became distorted, folding into an evil scowl. Apathy had to push herself off the rock and into the water beside Anguish. She'd never seen him this mad before.

"Okay then..." Envy got to his feet, breathing heavily. "If that's the way you want it..."

Apathy could only stare as she heard Ling shout a warning. "Ed, get back!"

She looked straight at Ed, their eyes connecting, and said the only thing she could think of at that moment:

"You really shouldn't have done that."


	5. Chapter 5

"_Holy shit! Holy shit!"_

_As Apathy watched Greed run around like an idiot, she distinctly remembered silently telling Dante that sending her, Greed, and Envy on a mission together was a very **bad** idea._

_All those two had done was glare at and argue with each other during the entire journey there. They'd stayed at a motel overnight; even though she was tired, Greed had sweet-talked her into having sex. It was really no big deal - after all, if you loved someone and had had sex with them before, shouldn't you do it if both people wanted to? She was in love with him, had lost her virginity to him (at least, since becoming a Homunculus), and wouldn't take that first time back. If their love was mutual and they enjoyed it, why shouldn't they do it?_

_And of course Envy was in a foul mood the next morning, as they were traveling through the desert. He had asked Greed what "all that racket last night" was about, complaining that he hadn't gotten any sleep._

_Greed had smirked, wrapping his arm around Apathy. "Oh c'mon, you know what that was," he'd commented smugly. "Oh wait - no, you don't. You've never heard what Sweetie sounds like when she's been **satisfied**."_

_And that was when Envy got mad. It was the first time either of them had seen his true form. It was a giant green beast, with long black hair, and an odd set of eyes that were different. He stood on four legs, and he'd immediately begun to chase Greed around._

_While Greed freaked out and tried frantically to escape Envy's jaws, Apathy just stared. It **did** surprise her a little, of course. His true form was such an ugly thing but at the same time... it was also kind of cute, in the most bizarre way. She was thankful, at least, that they were the only people around here._

_Envy picked up Greed in his mouth, growling and beginning to use the other Homunculus as a chew toy. Greed, meanwhile, was having a complete spaz attack. "C-Come on, Envy! Y-You can have her, okay? If you just put me down, I swear I'll never touch her again!"_

_Envy smirked and spit Greed out, propelling him in the other direction, towards that mountain over there. "And you better fucking mean it!"_

_Apathy glanced in that direction for a few seconds before turning back to Envy's new form. "I can't believe he'd give me up so easily, just like that, because his life was in danger. **And** after he gave me the ultimate gesture of love last night..."_

"_He doesn't deserve you." Envy trotted over to her. "Didn't I tell you that already, Apathy?"_

"_Yeah, you did." She took his snout in her hands and nuzzled her own cheek against it. "I'm sorry for not listening."_

"_Mmm, this is nice. I should show you this form more often."_

"_No, no..." She kissed the bridge of his nose. "We have to go find Greed, dear. He may have fallen into someone's water supply."_

_Envy snorted. "Boy, talk about your poisoned wells."_

* * *

><p>Apathy could only watch from the bloody waters as Envy got fully pissed off at the humans. Anguish ran into her arms, and she held the child loosely, more concerned about Envy at the moment. What the hell was he doing?<p>

Envy stood up, wavering and looking like he was going to fall off the rock. For the first time, Apathy noticed how incredibly lithe he was. He was taller than her, and that extra two and a half inches made a difference; his arms and legs were very slender, and it was all the more apparent when he was swaying back and forth like that. Obviously a bit taken aback by Ed's hostility, he looked lanky standing up there, and furious to boot.

She watched his face change, from the joyful reverie of killing Ishval to the angry heat of wanting to beat up on Ed - and quite possibly Ling as well. Not even that time he'd gotten mad at Greed and first shown his real form could compare to what she was witnessing now.

He finally steadied himself, and his glare was focused totally on Ed and Ling now. "I'm gonna show you two boys somethin' neat before we die. Apathy's already seen it, and she seems to like it - so let's see what you think." His skin was already turning green, his hair growing longer and changing color, and his revealing closed being torn as his body grew and distorted. Even his voice, deepening and becoming far more demonic. "Consider it a parting gift!"

Apathy hurried off to the side, a little closer to Ed and Ling, so she was out of Envy's way. She didn't know what he was going to do, and he needed room to move anyway. If she could she was going to try and convince him to knock all this crap off; he was going to spend all of his strength. His true form took a shitload of energy to maintain, and then he would die faster. Then she and Anguish would be all alone again.

Anguish followed her, clinging to the older for dear life. "Mommy, I'm scared!" she wailed, big tears already rolling down her cheeks. "I want Wrathy and Auntie to come keep us safe!"

"Wrath can't be here right now, Anguish!" she yelled over the sounds of Envy transforming. "And Sloth sure as hell wouldn't do any good against a two-ton Envy, now, would she?"

Anguish began to cry even harder, burying her face in Apathy's trenchcoat, which she'd taken.

Apathy could hear Ed and Ling talking to each other. "Ed," Ling called, "did you notice his footprints? Back when we were all fighting in the forest?"

Apathy contemplated that, trying to recall anything that related to that. She remembered that sometimes when she and Envy (or Greed and Envy) would fight, it would often turn physical. And if Envy were to fall down or collapse, the imprint he made in the ground was huge. No matter what form he was in, the tracks he left in the Earth were way deeper than they should have been. He may have been able to change his appearance, size, and shape, but all that mass had to be concentrated somewhere. All that happened was that there was more weight than there should have been if he was, say, what he normally looked like. Was that what they were talking about?

It looked like Ed was having another flashback. Well, either that, she reasoned, or he was really thinking about something. "What?" He glanced at Ling, blinking twice. "No... what's your point?"

Ling backed up, urging Ed to go with him. "Just that he's freakishly heavy for the size of his body..." A shadow fell over both of them as Envy's transformation completed. "He might be a bit bigger than he looks..."

Apathy just stared at the creature before her, blue eyes wide with an almost child-like curiosity and her mouth set in a little "o". This form had changed since she'd seen it last - not much, but enough to disturb most people. Faces lined Envy's shoulders, down the sides of his back. Horrible, nightmarish faces... dozens of them, all screaming different things in deafening unison. It was enough to unnerve Anguish into running to hide behind Ling.

Apathy instead chose this as a chance to allow herself a deeper understanding of Envy, an opportunity to tap into a connection that neither of them had any idea was there. She treaded through the crimson sea, her bare feet and ankles creating ripples as they were forever stained with it. That was the only sound besides the howling of the faces, was her walk. She reached Envy's monstrous form, and gently touched a smooth area of skin between two faces. "The souls from Ishval... Xerxes," she remarked softly, barely able to be heard. "So this is what happened to them during the war. You integrated them into your Philosopher's Stone and..."

That one unusual, shades-of-violet eye peered at her from inside the silver irides of the orb. She couldn't tell if he was sad or angry, but a slight grin told her that it was the same feeling they'd both had during Ishval. A sort of sick, delighted black hole: enjoying something but selfishly wanting more at the same time. It was similar to avarice, yet somehow... different. Was he trying to say he missed her, without actually saying it? He had never been good with emotional expressions, unless it was said during either the heat of lust or jealousy; sex or madness. His eye blinked, very slowly, and with his muzzle he gently nudged her to the side, away from him. "stay out of the way now, Apathy," he smirked, his attention returning to Ed and Ling. "Wouldn't want my unfeeling princess to get hurt."

With that, Envy snapped his teeth at Ed and Ling, knocking her over in the process. He was chasing them just as he'd chased Greed all those years ago, only this was far less comical. This time he was actually endangering Anguish's life; if he managed to get a bite out of Ling, he'd get a bite out of Anguish too.

Apathy backed up and took a running start, aiming for the top of Envy's back. She only had one shot at this; if she missed she'd land in the blood, and the "floor" beneath was enough to wound her to the point of immobilization, breaking at least one bone. She ran and leapt into the air, hoping she'd land on Envy. She felt herself land on what seemed to be skin, and saw she'd landed on his neck. She grasped onto his mane and held tight. "Envy!" she yelled, desperate to be heard over all the noise. "You're going to use up all your strength!" She pressed her face into his flesh, a sudden surge of emotion welling up inside her and pouring out in the form of tears. "Do you want me to die alone? _Is that what you want, Envy_? _HUH_?"

Ling and Ed were dodging every time Envy ran at them or tried to bite. "How the hell is _that_ a Homunculus?" Ling shouted. "They're supposed to be artificial humans, right?"

Apathy was too busy trying not to get thrown off to hear what Ed and Ling were talking about next. After a few seconds she saw Ed transmute a sword, and meanwhile Anguish was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, probably not far from getting her own head cut off. "Anguish!" Apathy shrieked, pulling on Envy's hair to try and calm him down. "You're going to get killed! Get over here _now_!"

Anguish sobbed all the way as she trudged breathlessly through the blood. "_I want Wrathy_!"


End file.
